Philippine airlines joining oneworld

[Bolt]

The Philippines is a place that I've wanted to go to for many years, but the logistics has often held me back. The timing of flights, access to good lounges, and ability to connect not just from overseas but within the Philippines. This is a step in the right direction.

There's a lot of work to be done. Outside of having carrier support, the Philippines infrastructure is severely underdeveloped. I constantly hear frequent flyers call NAIA the worst airport in the world., and there's still no trains connecting the airport to anywhere meaningful.

I hope one day that it will be an attractive place to visit for me.

 

[jase05]

I hope one day that it will be an attractive place to visit for me.

The Philippines is stunning and a fantastic place to visit. We have never had any real issues with the infrastructure and yes MNL gets a deserved bad rap but I’ve never found it bad enough to avoid and we still even preference flying in and out of there at times

 

[am0985]

Flying out of MNL to Greece later this year in Qatar J (booked before Iran, should hopefully run OK) and found some good hotels in the Resort World complex which is literally a walk from the airport. Looks like it has a few rooftop pool bars and decent places to eat, not too bad for an overnight layover! Worth considering for those that like the cheap J flight out of SE Asia hack.

Will be staying at the Okura this time round on the way back, on the way there have a night at the Peninsula which is available with Amex FHR/Virtuoso benefits

 

[Dvg]

Flying out of MNL to Greece later this year in Qatar J (booked before Iran, should hopefully run OK) and found some good hotels in the Resort World complex which is literally a walk from the airport. Looks like it has a few rooftop pool bars and decent places to eat, not too bad for an overnight layover! Worth considering for those that like the cheap J flight out of SE Asia hack.

Will be staying at the Okura this time round on the way back, on the way there have a night at the Peninsula which is available with Amex FHR/Virtuoso benefits

Newport resorts world area has a multitude of good restaurants plus the variety of very good restaurants within the Hilton, Marriot, Sheraton etc. I would also recommend a short trip to Okada resort (about 350 pesos in a “Grab”) in Manila Bay, very Vegas lol.

 

[Dvg]

Definitely didn't see this coming at all. I realise that joining an alliance probably wasn't ideal when financially precarious, and PR had been that for a very long time, but wow...

Hope this doesn't make CX too uncomfortable as an alliance member that it may push them out of ow and into *A.

So the new ow lounges at MNL will be Mabuhay Lounges? They'll need to step up their game.

I was told the CX lounge in Terminal 3, in my opinion the best lounge there, was closing but haven’t confirmed that as yet. Any news Matt?

 

[PineappleSkip]

I was told the CX lounge in Terminal 3, in my opinion the best lounge there, was closing but haven’t confirmed that as yet. Any news Matt?

Already closed

Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines close Manila lounges​

 

[Dvg]

Already closed

Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines close Manila lounges​

Rats, it was the best lounge in T3

 

[Dvg]

Rats, it was the best lounge in T3

Reading the article in this link it appears that MIAA are going to open their own premium lounge and charge the airlines for each passenger, wonder how that will flow on lol.

 

[clifford]

Reading the article in this link it appears that MIAA are going to open their own premium lounge and charge the airlines for each passenger, wonder how that will flow on lol.

It's NAIA, how do you think it will turn out?

 

[Dvg]

It's NAIA, how do you think it will turn out?

Prefer not to state the obvious lol

 

[poopiepoo]

Some QF award flights on CX have been replaced by PR flights .

MNL is a truly horrible airport to transit through .

NAIA is the only third world airport left in the region with some bad lounges.

PR flights depart from T1, the oldest and saddest terminal.

CX, QF use T3, not connected to T1 with bad Manila traffic.

CX / HKG has nothing to worry about. No competition really. Just sad to see some CX award flights on CX disappear.

 

[am0985]

Some QF award flights on CX have been replaced by PR flights .

MNL is a truly horrible airport to transit through .

NAIA is the only third world airport left in the region with some bad lounges.

PR flights depart from T1, the oldest and saddest terminal.

CX, QF use T3, not connected to T1 with bad Manila traffic.

CX / HKG has nothing to worry about. No competition really. Just sad to see some CX award flights on CX disappear.

They wouldn't have been replaced by PR flights. It's highly unlikely they're coordinating their award seat releases.

 

[exceladdict]

NAIA is the only third world airport left in the region with some bad lounges.

It might not be the region's best international, national capital city airport but it is hardly the only airport in the region that could do with better loinges

 

[anat0l]

It might not be the region's best international, national capital city airport but it is hardly the only airport in the region that could do with better loinges

Agreed, and let's be perfectly honest - NAIA needs to, first and foremost, improve quite a bit more than just having better lounges.

To be fair, @poopiepoo said the only airport left with some bad lounges, which is sort of true, but then again, there has to be another airport in the region which has some fairly average lounges (as well as very good ones).

 

[jase05]

but then again, there has to be another airport in the region which has some fairly average lounges (as well as very good ones).

CGK’s are mostly average

 

[anat0l]

CGK’s are mostly average

Which ones?

Apparently GA's is pretty good (the international one).

I've been in the Plaza Premium lounge in T3 (not the First side, since I couldn't get into that), and it is pretty good. It can get quite crowded, but overall as a lounge it is better than PAGSS in NAIA T1.

People might argue that the KrisFlyer Gold lounges in SIN are average as they have no showers and can get easily crowded (after all, there are lots of *G Y flyers out there). Are they arguably worse than PAGSS in NAIA T1? That's a touchy subject.

 

[jase05]

Apparently GA's is pretty good (the international one).

It’s poor IMO
Other lounges are ok but still pretty average.
For GA’s home port I think the lounge is pretty poor

 

[SYD]

It’s poor IMO
Other lounges are ok but still pretty average.
For GA’s home port I think the lounge is pretty poor

I’ve never been to that lounge (QR shifted to the PP prior to my first Oz-CGK-Euro trip via DOH) but I had read some pretty poor reviews of the post COVID ops leading up to that trip (including blocking off chunks of it). I did see something very recently suggesting that it may have improved.

Meanwhile, apparently the reason for the lounge closures at MNL is to allow the operator to create new 3rd party lounge spaces. Not always a great idea (eg CGK the PP is ok but not somewhere to hangout for a long layover or necessarily rush to get to), but I was pleasantly surprised by the Encalm Prive Lounge at DEL used by the OW airlines, including QF. Huge lounge, extensive buffet selection (including some cooked to order) and ok bar. But still not pinch on the premium lounge offerings at SIN, HKG, HND.

I guess we’ll wait and see what they come up with.

 

[anat0l]

I’ve never been to that lounge (QR shifted to the PP prior to my first Oz-CGK-Euro trip via DOH) but I had read some pretty poor reviews of the post COVID ops leading up to that trip (including blocking off chunks of it). I did see something very recently suggesting that it may have improved.

Meanwhile, apparently the reason for the lounge closures at MNL is to allow the operator to create new 3rd party lounge spaces. Not always a great idea (eg CGK the PP is ok but not somewhere to hangout for a long layover or necessarily rush to get to), but I was pleasantly surprised by the Encalm Prive Lounge at DEL used by the OW airlines, including QF. Huge lounge, extensive buffet selection (including some cooked to order) and ok bar. But still not pinch on the premium lounge offerings at SIN, HKG, HND.

I guess we’ll wait and see what they come up with.

Fair assessments, but ultimately let's be honest - NAIA should improve the terminals proper first; lounges wouldn't be on the priority list.

The former is likely why NAIA has its infamous reputation; poor lounges would be a cherry on a cake for a subset of travellers using the airport.

New airports in Manila or some sort of express line from Metro Manila to Clark can't come fast enough (the former is in the works, the latter isn't really going to happen).

 

[elanshin]

Fair assessments, but ultimately let's be honest - NAIA should improve the terminals proper first; lounges wouldn't be on the priority list.

I don't see why not both at the same time (also they are trying - whether they succeed or not is a differnt question).